Four 16 team super-conferences of two divisions each = 64 teams. Win your division and play for conference championship. Four conference champions play for national title.

OK, what about #s 65 through 68? Every year the worst team in each conference is relegated out of the conference, and the previous #65-68 join their new conference. You could base relegation on a rolling three or four year average if you like.. Try to keep geography relevant to conference assignment if possible, but no guarantees.

Gov. Askew was a dedicated public servant who passed open government (sunshine) laws, which greatly cut down on corruption in Florida. Yes, he was for reapportionment even though it did not advantage his district, and he helped desegregate Florida socially and civilly.

He was also both an Army paratrooper and an Air Force intelligence officer.

On a personal note, he was a dear friend to my family, and greatly supported us with counsel and advice when my father (a state representative) died unexpectedly.

If one knew the man personally, then perhaps one would be more circumspect in offering up criticism of him at his death. He entered the public ring, and acquitted himself well. He was well honorable in life, and I would hope he’d be well honored in his death.

Left my office in the Pentagon that morning, to go to a conference at the Army-Navy Club. The subject was terrorism. Lots of details to this story, but the one thing I never forget: we heard the plane hit the building. One admiral sitting next to me said “I hope someone has a tight hold on the nukes today,” to which an Air Force general replied “I hope they don’t.”

My Dad went to Florida, my Mom to Florida State College for Women. They met as a blind date for Gator Growl. Brother went undergrad Florida, law school at FSU and teaches law seminars at Miami. One sister through Auburn; another sister with son at Alabama; third sister through FSU undergrad, law school and teaches law at FSU. Multiple nieces and nephews through Auburn and FSU.

Really? Because I worked with COL Kip Ward in Bele Dogle, Somalia, 1992-93, and was very impressed by him. Don’t know about his later activities as a general officer, but he was a damn fine Brigade Commander in the Tenth Mountain Division.

And if you’ve never passed out in a PT run at least once in the military, then you weren’t trying hard enough.

I had left the Pentagon 45 minutes earlier, to attend a conference on terrorism at the Army-Navy Club. Our first speaker, Dr. David Chu, arrived late, telling us that the op’s center had reported a ‘small plane’ had accidentally hit a building in New York.

Within 10 minutes we knew that wasn’t true, when the report of a second plane hitting the World Trade Center came in.

We stopped the conference.

Suddenly a Lieutenant Colonel ran into the room, grabbed a Brigadier General by the army and yelled, “Sir! You have to come with me NOW!” The general was the officer in charge of the military support to civilian authority response cell in the Pentagon watch. Later this general would recount that as he drove down the hill by the Navy Annex that he looked out his window, saw the wingtip of a plane pass within ten yards, and how he slammed on the brakes and watched the plane hit the Pentagon. He had to run past the inferno to the other side of the Pentagon to reach the watch and assume his duties.

We found out about the Pentagon hit when someone ran in from the tennis courts and said “something just blew up by the Pentagon.”

A TV was rolled into the conference, and we watched our war begin. As we saw the destruction of the Pentagon, a Navy flag officer next to me remarked “that hit my office; I wonder if anyone on my staff is still alive?”

Several retired under secretaries of defense remarked that they hoped someone had a tight hold on the nukes today. I wished that someone with balls and good intellligence had good targets for the nukes. Alas...

My office staff had moved from the stricken side of the Pentagon just six weeks earlier, as part of the reconstruction and renovation project. Our move had been delayed twice and we had been requested to delay another two months, but our admin officer insisted that our move plans to the swing space proceed on schedule. If you recall the pictures of the collapsed portion, my old office was the second floor on the left side, with the yellow curtains flapping in the breeze. Had we not moved, based on where everyone in our office was on 9-11, we would have lost 88 of 94 assigned.

One of our senior aides, once he got home at midnight, went out to his fiance’s car. She had been driving past the Pentagon when the plan flew over her car, clipping a light pole. A piece of the plane’s wing actuator assembly hS brokeN off as the plane clipped the pole; it went through the roof of her car, through the passenger seat and embedded halfway through the floorboard. My friend pried it out, took it the next day to the FAA investigators on scene and was told he could keep it — they had enough evidence already. (So I know two people who personally saw the plane hit the Pentagon, for any assholes who say otherwise.)

Three days later my boss was tapped to announce the partial mobilization of the reserve components. Our staff personally briefed President Bush the day prior on his mobiilization options.

I have other stories, but they can wait. As my tag line says, winners write the history books. I very much fear that 50 years from now that 9-11 will be celebrated around the world, while my descendants live in subjugation. And my history will be forgotten.

In 70 A.D., the Romans got tired of a little religious outpost in Jerusalem, and were God-inspired (not that they themselves were righteous) to change forever the face of that religion. They eventually tore down the Temple “brick from brick” and ended the animal sacrifice system forever, just as Jesus and the prophets predicted.

We need a 70 A.D. option for Islam. Moderate Muslims, get your zealots under control, or the only nation on earth that has nuked two cities might do it again, and forever change your religion. It’s hard to face a smoking sea of glass and pray to it five times a day and still think your ‘god’ is in control.

"And I officiate youth and high school football. "There are rules in life son. There are rules in football too. And if I catch you, there are penalites for breaking those rules. And yes, the guy across the line from you will bust you in the nose if you let him. You might want to hit him first. Now shut up and play ball!"

Everybody has the opportunity to score in baseball...I frankly I'm no baseball fan.

Seriously, the NFL is worried that what happened to baseball -- youth turning to play soccer in the spring instead of baseball, growing into adults that don't watch professional baseball nor buy tickets -- will happen to football next, if fall soccer encrouches.

NFL, NFL Players Association put up $2.5M four years ago to start USA Football, a non-profit to promote/support amatuer football in America. Check out their web site, usafootball.com

My worry is that as high schools get bigger in terms of student body population, and as America continues to urbanize, fewer boys will every learn to knock the crap out of each other and keep going. Football unfortunately is becoming a sport of behemoths, discouraging young men from playing a phyically adverse game that involves hard contact. Maybe lacrosse will become our next teen national physical contact sport and save our national manhood -- soccer sure as hell won't.

I'll grant you soccer is a sport, and is physically demanding, but it does not involve near-fighting conditions, complete with hitting, intentional physical and physcological intimidation -- and bell-ringing and bloodletting.

"I (state your full name) do solemnly swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegience to the same. I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me. I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me God."

I don't care what color your son's uniform is -- when he says those words, or some form therefore, he's OK in my book. And you must have been pretty good parents for him to see and respond to the need of our Nation.

As for my service, I'm just an old Army guy. Now at the twilight of my career, I'm mighty glad to see more men coming up to replace old Reagan Cowboy's like me.

Here's what you can do...get a copy of the oath of enlistment, or oath of commission, and read it. Learn what each word and phrase means. Then teach it to him, and tell him what it means to you. If he understands the oath, and desires to fulfill it -- that's a man you've raised! A mighty fine man!

Thanks in advance for your service to the nation. Twenty four years in the Big Green Machine hasn't hurt me one bit, but it has at times challenged the best - and more than I thought I could give - from me.

Imagine my dilemma: both the wife and I are Gator alumni, and our daughter is a sophomore at George Mason. And if both basketball teams make it to the Final Four, it will be played on the same weekend as when our daughter competes in the National Forensics Tournament, as a member of the George Mason team -- with the National Forensics Tournament being held at the University of Florida's campus!

Old joke: Tired, past-middle-aged floozy sitting at the bar, crying in her beer. Man walks up to her and says 'why are you crying?' She says 'I want to go back in time, to have a man with six inches and who can make me bleed.' So he punches her in the nose and screws her twice.

I got to take a 2005 Gold Wing on a 15-mile test ride (the day after I bought my 750). I purposely bought the 750, just to commute on (HOV priviledges) and didn't want to invest too much in case I discovered that I was too old and slow to be back on a bike after 25 years of not riding (I'm not).

As I tell my church friends, I now have the serious sin of coveting a Gold Wing. I declare it's actually easier to handle than my 750!

Anyway, I'm looking at getting a ST1300 ABS as an interim step up, splitting time on it with my daughter. She and I can ride together on the 750 and 1300, until she's really trained enough to absolutely have the 1300 solo; I can put the wife on the back of the 1300 on weekends, and see if I can get her hooked on riding two-up with me. Once that happens, hello Gold Wing!

Serious question here from a recently-returned-to-riding-after-25-years Honda VT750C24 Shadow Aero owner: what are your thoughts on the Honda ST1300 ABS, vice the bike you currently have?

I'm thinking of getting another bike next year (20 year-old daugther wants a sport bike). Need something to commute on (luggage, windshield a plus!) and want something with ABS. Like Honda's reputation for value.

My heart's desire is a 2006 Goldwing ABS with airbag! Yeah, I know its a couch on wheels!

We men and women need each other, in order to accurately reflect the glory of God's creation.

Some Christians like to point to Genesis and say that Eve committed the orginal sin, but really it was Adam. He (read Genesis closely) was there when Eve was tempted, and Adam did not exercise spiritual headship in the presence of the Serpent. God told Adam what not to do, He didn't tell Eve. Yet Eve knew (as the Serpent proved), she learned (implied) from Adam. Yet Adam failed to confront the Serpent.

Thus the blameshifting began, and 'we're' still wrongly argueing between the sexes ever since.

Funny thing is that the Creeks on my Dad's side of the family who fought against Jackson got to stay in Alabama; Jackson admired their bravery. The ones that fought for his federal forces, even those that fought against the Seminoles, were removed. Sixth great grandfather died on the Trail of Tears...

Let me be so bold as to repeat an offertory prayer I gave at church today...

Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed in America there were no Father's Day cards!

Now, depending on who you believe, the first Fathers Day was either in 1908 or 1910. Here are two of the most commonly accepted stories:

Mrs. John Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Mr. Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. So supposedly the first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington.

A second origin cited is slightly less known -- the Methodist church in Fairmont WV has a sign declaring the "First Father's Day July 5, 1908", beating the Dodd claim. That date was six months after the huge coal mine disaster of December 6, 1907, which killed at least 361 men  the largest mine disaster in American history.

Regardless, early in the last century Americans were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Coolidge gave support to the idea of a national Father's Day. In 1966 President Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Strangely, it has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. These days stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are sometimes also honored on Father's Day. Perversely, well, even today's Washington Post Sunday magazine chose today to honor an even different kind of fatherhood.

But really, doesnt Fathers Day go back to creation? When our triune God said let us make man in our own image?

The Bible calls fathers to: love, command, instruct, guide and warn, train, rebuke, restrain, punish, chasten, nourish, supple the needs of, and to do not provoke their children. Hasnt our heavenly Father been perfect in those respects!

Like Mrs. Dodd, maybe we dont realize the strength and selflessness of our fathers, and of our Father, until we get the perspective of adulthood.

So children, honor your earthly father, as was commanded by God to Moses and the Israelites. And congregation, lets honor God our Father now, with our tithes and offerings.

Father, our gifts are small, especially compared to your love. We were created by Your will, and not by our own. Thanks Abba  daddy  for loving us so much. Amen.

Happy Father's Day... Thanks, Washington Post, for successfully perverting it by choosing this day to publish this article.

As a contrast, read this offertory prayer I delivered at church this morning:

Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed in America there were no Father's Day cards!

Now, depending on who you believe, the first Fathers Day was either in 1908 or 1910. Here are two of the most commonly accepted stories:

Mrs. John Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Mr. Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. So supposedly the first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington.

A second origin cited is slightly less known -- the Methodist church in Fairmont WV has a sign declaring the "First Father's Day July 5, 1908", beating the Dodd claim. That date was six months after the huge coal mine disaster of December 6, 1907, which killed at least 361 men  the largest mine disaster in American history.

Regardless, early in the last century Americans were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Coolidge gave support to the idea of a national Father's Day. In 1966 President Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Strangely enought, it has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. These days stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are sometimes also honored on Father's Day. And even greater perversion is honored, if you read today's Washington Post's Sunday magazine.

But really, doesnt Fathers Day go back to creation? When our triune God said let us make man in our own image?

The Bible calls fathers to: love, command, instruct, guide and warn, train, rebuke, restrain, punish, chasten, nourish, supple the needs of, and to do not provoke their children. Hasnt our heavenly Father been perfect in those respects!

Like Mrs. Dodd, maybe we dont realize the strength and selflessness of our fathers, and of our Father, until we get the perspective of adulthood.

So children, honor your earthly father, as was commanded by God to Moses and the Israelites. And congregation, lets honor God our Father now, with our tithes and offerings.

Father, our gifts are small, especially compared to your love. We were created by Your will, and not by our own. Thanks Abba Father  daddy  for loving us so much. Amen.

As I have recently had a son drop out of college, go through drug rehab and then move out of my house because he couldn't live under my authority anymore, I say I'd want to have my child tell me that he appreciated my sacrifice as a father and that he respected my responsibilities to love, instruct, admonish, encourage and to discipline him.

He'd be the prodigal son, if only I'd give him an inheritance to squander.

A simple thank you will suffice; a heart-felt question-and-answer period on 'how is it like to be a father?' would be priceless. No one wants to learn how to be a father from their father, until after they've left their father's house.

My father-in-law once joked, as my first three children toddled around his yard "kids, the screwing you get for the screwing you got." I always laughed reflecting back on that, until this year. Now I wait for the day when my son will reconcile himself to God and to his mother and I.

If you can, have your children express in writing their love to their father, even if it's a simple emailed "I love you." The only communication I have from that oldest son is painful (but necessary) to hold on to; I long for the day when I can blot out his hateful words with words of respect, if not words of love or admiration.

Encourage your children to talk, and to listen, to their father's instruction.

Think might be as bad as asking 'what kind of handgun should I buy,' but here goes...what kind of bike should I buy?

I commute (currently by car) to work each day in a large, eastern seaboard city. It's 20 miles -- one mile of neighborhood streets, two miles of divided six lane, 17 miles of interstate WITH HOV access for motorcycles. There is ample motorcycle parking at my workplace.

I'm 6'1", 250 lbs, 31" inseam.

What I want is a Gold Wing ABS; I've considered the BMW K1200LT and a HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic; reason would dictate that I could get by with a Honda Shadow Aero.

Yeah, one day I want to tour the great US West on a bike, with or without the wife. (She's resisting that inner demon to be like her Mom (dead 40 years ago) and Dad (who at 70 still rides a cruiser).) I don't have to buy anything at all, except the b.s. traffic and the HOV lane restrictions mean I come to work at least an hour before I have to, and I can't get home in less than 50 minutes if I'm stuck in the non-HOV lanes.

And it's been 25 years since I last rode. I'm taking the Basic Motorcycle Riders course this weekend.

I'm thinking of getting the Shadow Aero, ride a year or two, give it to one of my kids, and then getting the Wing and give the wife the chance to ride two-up with an experienced rider.

Just to add to the general debate: While stationed in Germany I had a mortar platoon section sergeant, early 1980's, who came in because the choice was 20 years in jail for manslaughter or a military enlistment. He'd caught his wife and best friend in bed, and in a moment of passion, shot them. The 'best friend' died, the wife was only wounded, and he ended up serving 20 years in the Army.

Of course, he came in the latter days of the Vietnam era, and I also had some senior NCOs that couldn't read, and one who couldn't write either.

Still in all, the Soviets never came across the Fulda Gap. Maybe their NCOs couldn't read either, or had also shot their wives.

We will sink to whatever level we have to -- whatever the market will bear is also limited to whatever the consumer (goverment, taxpayers) are willing to invest in our Army of One.

Just remember that the President is the Commander in Chief, and the Congress is charged with the funding of the raising of an Army. Don't blame the Army entirely for what what it fields...

I'm an infantryman in the Army National Guard serving on Active Guard and Reserve tour in the Pentagon; I have previously served in the active Army (10 1/2 years) and in the Individual Ready Reserve (1 year). I have served hostile fire tours in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Somalia.

I know this isn't Memorial Day, but I also remember the veterans in my family who came before me...

My dad was a WWII infantry platoon sergeant, who fought from one side of France to the other side of Germany.

I have ancestors who fought in the Civil War (Florida and Georgia infantry regiments) and all three Creek Indian Wars (in both the Alabama Mounted Creek Volunteer Regiment and the hostile 'Red Sticks'). Believe I have an ancestor who served in the Revolutionary War (North Carolina militia) but can't definatively prove the geneology link.

Even my brother, who took a law school deferment in the Vietnam era, but who at least served six months in Military Intelligence following his graduation.

To all who read this: interview the Veteran's in your family, and preserve their stories. Oh how I wish someone in my family had!

Got in line at 5:50 AM in Newington Forest (Springfield, VA) Elementary School; estimate 500+ people in front of me. Most took voter guides from the republican worker.

It took 45 minutes to process through; voted on touch screens. Each check-in line had poll watchers from each major party. Wore my Class A (dress) Army green uniform -- not to intimidate, but just showing (off) that I'm doing my part to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foriegn and domestic!

I saw the movie last night with the wife and the three oldest children (19, 17, 15). It was profoundly moving and illustrative of the beating, mocking, scrouging and crucifixition of Christ.

I'm a soldier, I've seen violence -- but none of my family has. They now fully, fully understand the sin-and-evil nature of unregenerate man, and how Christ has dealt with it. They did not know true brutality until now; now they also know the true unmerited grace of God.

This movie's impact should translate into significant step in the culture war against secular humanism, against islamic terrorism, against the false sense that Christians have that 'I'm in a minority, I can not overcome this world and this age.' This is an encouragement for Christians to step up and to follow Christ.

The best part of the movie? Where the resurrected Jesus stands up in the tomb, first with an expression of love, then determination, and compassion, and strides forward to the opening and out of the camera shot. The last thing you see is the clear nailhole in His hand.

We too need to pay our price, rise up and then be about our Father's business.

My family just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon in June. Providentially, my husband snapped a picture of the plaque at Desert View. I was heartsick to hear that they had been removed. If want to voice your concerns over the situation you may call the National Park Public Affairs office at (928) 638-7779. When I called I got the run around about separation of church and state. Where is that wording in our constitution?? She said it was a decision made by the National Park Service. Please let THEM know how you feel. When I called she said she hadn't recieved any other calls.